The Minnesota Family Law Podcast

The Honorable Mark Ireland, Chief Judge of the Family and Juvenile Division in the Second Judicial District, join Tom to discuss the pandemic recovery decision-making process underway in Second Judicial District Family Division. He identifies the progress being made, including the advent of telephonic hearings now available to each judicial officer in the Family Division. He discusses how video ma...

Family Law Attorney Lisa Spencer, Managing Partner at Henson Efron, P.A. joins Tom to discuss what a larger firm does to adapt its practice to the pandemic. This includes ensuring that all employees are able to work from home. She identifies approaches to staying connected with colleagues and checking in to make see how they are doing. She discusses the importance of supporting all of the partners...

Grand Rapids Family Law Attorney Sara Swanson describes how COVID-19 is hitting (or not hitting) Itasca County and the surrounding area. She discusses how the courts in which she practices are handling family court matters, which includes a wide variety of approaches. For example, much like the Twin Cities, some judges are now allowing telephone hearings on a case-by-case basis. She describes the...

Description Attorney Chris Vatsaas, a partner at Chestnut Cambronne, joins Tom to discuss the Family Law League and the leadership role they play among Minnesota family law professionals. He talks about the history of the organization and where the organization is going. He discusses changes to the organization caused by the pandemic such as turning planned distillery tours into virtual Zoom happy...

Attorney Allie Connell of Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell, PLLC shares her perspective on the challenges of practicing in this very challenging time. She identifies empathy as a key to working with both clients and colleagues. She offers ideas on working with judicial clerks to help come up with solutions to move cases forward. Also, Tom shares some perspective on where they may be going in th...

Dr. Jordan Hart provides insights into how her adolescent and adult therapy clients have adapted to life in the pandemic. She discusses the comfort level of her clients having therapy via telehealth. She provides interesting insights about what she sees as reduced anxiety among adolescents as they experience less social and academic pressure than normal.  She points out the mental health bene...

Employment law attorney Sarah E. Bushnell of the Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak, and Pikala law firm discusses the issues business owners may face.  This includes small employers like most family law professional services firms.   We are subject to new and old laws as we manage employees and make decisions around possible lay-offs and furloughs.  There are new rules around...

Major General and Family Law Attorney Johanna Clyborne joins Tom to discuss the impact of the pandemic on service members and their families. She identifies the unique stress on service members going through family court proceedings. She discusses the special challenges of govenrment and military leaders in deciding whether to call up military personnel who may be needed in their civilian roles as...

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Minnesota Chapter President and Henson Efron Managing Partner Lisa Spencer joins Tom to discuss the role the AAML is playing both in Minnesota and nationally to help family law attorneys navigate practicing in a pandemic. Also attached is a link to the AAML Zoom presentation and updated slides from Tom Harjes of bakertilly. https://tuftlaw.sharefile.com/home...

ADR provider Jennifer Joseph shares how she is adapting her ADR practice to these pandemic conditions. In addition, she explains the unique challenges in doing custody evaluations when home visits and private interviews with children are impossible.

Family law attorney and ADR provider Zak Kretchmer joins Tom to discuss how his firm adjusted to the pandemic and continues serving clients remotely. He identifies the technology that allows his firm to continue to operate and muses about whether the pandemic-related changes to the practice of law will endure.

ADR provider and attorney Kevin McGrath joins Tom to discuss how delivering ADR services has changed during the pandemic.  He explains his early adoption of Zoom which has quickly become the standard videoconferencing platform in family law. He identifies some of the challenges and opportunities that arise when mediating in a virtual world.

Mindy Mitnick joins Tom for a discussion about how children are experiencing the pandemic. She discusses resilience and the importance of parents and other adults supporting the children’s physical activity and creativity. This is just a snippet of what she will talk about at the AFCC Minnesota Community Chat at noon today entitled Beyond Conflict: Meeting Children’s Need in the Time of COVID-19....

The Honorable James Street, Referee of Family Court and current President of the Minnesota Chapter of the AFCC joins Tom to discuss how the AFCC is changing to meet the needs of family law professionals in Minnesota. The AFCC has started weekly community chats facilitated by the leaders of the profession. In addition, he speaks of the challenges facing the AFCC Minnesota with the cancelling of its...

Allyson Kerr and Tom Tuft,  family law attorneys at the law firm of Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell discuss the April 10, 2020 Statewide Order from the Minnesota Supreme Court and how it may impact the way family law cases are handled.

Ben Henschel an attorney and mediator at Henschel Moberg P.A. joins Tom to discuss the Remote Expedited Temporary Relief (RETR) process. Ben, along with Susan Rhode and Kevin McGrath developed the process to give an option to families in need of a resolution of the most pressing issues in their case and to allow the family to move forward to resolution. The process has been well-received by the be...

The Honorable James Street shares the newest development in the Second District including new ability to have telephone hearings and his willingness to hold hearings via Zoom if appropriate.  He explains how the Second is handling OFPs and other "liberty interest" cases.  Finally, he touches on how the courts will be dealing with the backlog of cases that has already developed.  

On Sunday's episode, Letty Van Ert and Tom Tuft, shareholders at the law firm of Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O'Connell, PLLC discuss the challenges to Letty's estate planning practice during the pandemic.  She explains the no contact, parking lot will process she has created, and how she serves clients over Zoom when in-person meetings are not possible.  

On Saturday's episode of The Minnesota Family Law Podcast, the Honorable Rick Stebbins, Referee of Family Court in Hennepin County joins family law attorney Tom Tuft of Tuft, Lach Jerabek & O'Connell, PLLC to discuss how his Honor continues to operate his courtroom through the pandemic.  Referee Stebbins explains how he continues to move pressing cases ahead in light of Governor Walz's st...

Family law attorney Tom Tuft of the law firm of Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O'Connell, PLLC introduces The Minnesota Family Law Podcast.